The chief academic officer for Prince George’s County Public Schools resigned in February after four years of overseeing county schools and fostering connections with this university.
Duane Arbogast, who earned his doctorate in educational policy and leadership from this university, resigned from his county position to serve as the educational services vice president with the Children’s Guild in Baltimore, a 60-year-old nonprofit organization that provides mental health services, foster care and educational programs to children and teens.
“What I found was that in a large public school system, it was very, very difficult to be nimble, and there were structures to the large public school system that cannot necessarily adapt easily and quickly to the needs of students,” Arbogast said. “So when I have the opportunity to work with a much smaller organization that was much more nimble, that was a good fit for me. … I wouldn’t have thought of that if I hadn’t had the experiences in Prince George’s.”
The university alumnus maintained his affiliation with the education college by advising doctoral students and teaching courses during his tenure as chief academic officer. He also helped establish College Park Academy, a county charter school, in 2013.
“It is important for PGCPS to have a person at the superintendent’s cabinet level who is dedicated to promoting and facilitating university partnerships,” said Margaret McLaughlin, education college associate dean and professor.
Both university and county officials stated they were uncertain what will happen with the vacancy in the PGCPS administration. The county has yet to fill the vacancy left by Arbogast, although Shawn Joseph, who served as Montgomery County School System director of school performance and superintendent of the Seaford School District in Delaware, is expected to join the team today as deputy superintendent for teaching and learning, said Max Pugh, Prince George’s County Public Schools acting communications officer.
“The Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning is not a replacement of the Chief Academic Officer,” Pugh wrote in an email. “The organizational structure will continue to be analyzed for the most effective and efficient operation, which may or may not include a Chief Academic Officer position.”
As deputy superintendent, Joseph will manage curriculum instruction, special education, testing, student services and performance management, Pugh wrote. Joseph also will assume a portion of Arbogast’s previous responsibilities.
University officials said Arbogast was an invaluable contact, and he said he placed heavy emphasis on his relationship with this institution.
“Regardless of whether they reorganize or whether they hire a new person, they have a different kind of role. … There needs to be an overall point person for the university,” said Donna Wiseman, education college dean. “We will probably still work with him in some capacity not related to Prince George’s County.”
Prince George’s County will continue to work toward urban reform along with the rest of the nation, Arbogast said. This effort includes changes in areas such as principal management, school budgets’ priorities, teacher evaluations, school structures and student programming.
“In a large organization, people come and go and the work still continues, so I think it would be inappropriate to speculate on what someone leaving or someone coming means to change the work because the work doesn’t change,” Arbogast said. “The core work in Prince George’s moves forward regardless. … The work is so much bigger than any one person.”
